Aggregation of scaffolding protein DISC1 dysregulates phosphodiesterase 4 in Huntington's disease

J Clin Invest. 2017 Apr 3;127(4):1438-1450. doi: 10.1172/JCI85594. Epub 2017 Mar 6.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is a polyglutamine (polyQ) disease caused by aberrant expansion of the polyQ tract in Huntingtin (HTT). While motor impairment mediated by polyQ-expanded HTT has been intensively studied, molecular mechanisms for nonmotor symptoms in HD, such as psychiatric manifestations, remain elusive. Here we have demonstrated that HTT forms a ternary protein complex with the scaffolding protein DISC1 and cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) to regulate PDE4 activity. We observed pathological cross-seeding between DISC1 and mutant HTT aggregates in the brains of HD patients as well as in a murine model that recapitulates the polyQ pathology of HD (R6/2 mice). In R6/2 mice, consequent reductions in soluble DISC1 led to dysregulation of DISC1-PDE4 complexes, aberrantly increasing the activity of PDE4. Importantly, exogenous expression of a modified DISC1, which binds to PDE4 but not mutant HTT, normalized PDE4 activity and ameliorated anhedonia in the R6/2 mice. We propose that cross-seeding of mutant HTT and DISC1 and the resultant changes in PDE4 activity may underlie the pathology of a specific subset of mental manifestations of HD, which may provide an insight into molecular signaling in mental illness in general.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4 / metabolism*
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein / genetics
  • Huntingtin Protein / metabolism
  • Huntington Disease / enzymology*
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Aggregation, Pathological / enzymology*

Substances

  • DISC1 protein, human
  • HTT protein, human
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4
  • PDE4B protein, human